2 Packed Planes Almost Collide at JFK Airport

Two airplanes nearly collided on the runway at JFK on Friday, raising fresh concerns about safety. At 8:45 p.m. local time, a Delta Air Lines plane was taking off just as an American Airlines plane was crossing its path. The near miss was alarming to the passengers and has the aviation industry abuzz.

The near collision came late on Friday night at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. Delta’s Boeing 737 stopped about 1,000 feet short from hitting American Airlines’ Boeing 777, according to a report by PEOPLE. A statement from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that “air traffic controllers noticed another aircraft crossing the runway in front of the departing jetliner.” Their understanding was that American Airlines’ plane “had crossed from an adjacent taxiway.”

Two audio excerpts from @liveatc pic.twitter.com/4ruAWgVO4b

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The realization was mroe alarming than it sounds in the statement. A recording of the air traffic controllers’ radio transmissions went viral on social media. In it, one controller says: “S-! Delta 1943 cancel takeoff plans!”

Both airlines issued a statement on the situation as well. A representative for Delta said: “The safety of our customers and crew is always Delta’s number one priority. Delta will work with and assist aviation authorities on a full review of flight 1943 on Jan. 13 regarding a successful aborted takeoff procedure at New York-JFK. We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and delay of their travels.”

“The safety of our customers and team members is our top priority,” read the statement from American Airlines. “We are conducting a full internal review and cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board in their investigation.”

One passenger on the Delta flight, Brian Healy shared his vantage of the story with NBC News. He said: “It was like a split second of panic that resulted in this audible reaction on the plane. I felt the adrenaline and there was total quiet on the plane and then there was relief when the plane came to a stop.” In a separate interview with CBS News, he added: “There was this abrupt jerk of the plane, and everyone was sort of thrust forward from the waist. There was an audible reaction when the brakes happened, like a gasp. And then there was a total silence for a couple of seconds.”

The effected Delta flight was headed to the Dominican Republic, but it did not take off until the next morning. The airline found overnight accomodations for all passengers. It’s not clear when the American Airlines flight was able to take off.